Conspiracy
by algelic
Summary: AU. Hitomi and Van, two different people, meet and find out just how much their destinies are connected. Through all the hardship, will love find a way? Read and Review please!
1. Loneliness

**Author's Notes**

Hello and welcome to my story! I am SO happy to be doing one finally!

I plan to update every week. Of course, reviews are a big incentive! I hope you like this. Please keep in mind that a) English is not my country's language and b) This is my first fanfic. That means that probably you will see some mistakes. Please don't hesitate to tell me what and where they are! And not only typos, mistakes with the story too! Well, enjoy!

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It was a day like any other. A 17-year-old girl was sleeping in her bedroom, wrapped up in her baby blue comforter and dressed in her favorite pajamas, white with drawings of pink feathers. Softly her eyelids fluttered and she yawned. Another day of school, not an appealing scenario, especially since she had a History exam today.

At last she surrendered to wakefulness, big thanks to the light escaping the protection of the curtains and illuminating the whole room with those few cracks of light.

Suddenly she remembered to look at her alarm clock. "Oh shit! It's 7:55am!"

She had only 25 minutes to get ready and she ALWAYS took at least 30! Being late wasn't the end of the world… in any day but today. Today she was having her History exam at 8:30… with Mr. Miguel Cravo, a young teacher with great looks but a really short temper. If she was late even for a minute, he wouldn't let her do the exam.

She got up quickly and walked towards her closet mirror. A sigh escaped her lips and looking herself in the mirror she said "I chose the perfect day to be late… as always!".

Then she went in her bathroom, took a shower and brushed her teeth. While brushing her hair, she walked over to her closet. After putting on her school uniform she looked herself in the mirror again. "I guess it's time for a little magic trick, huh?" she said with a knowing smile.

Carefully she locked her bedroom door to make sure nobody walked in on her and then she stood in the middle of the room. One hand ran through her dirty-blonde boyish hair, while the other clutched the pendant hanging from her neck.

It was a pink gem hanging in a silver necklace. It had been in her family for centuries, being passed on from generation to generation. That pendant, combined with her powers, gave her the ability to move time back or forward. There was only one problem… her mother hadn't exactly _lived_ to teach her how to develop her abilities. So, besides consuming a lot of her energy to do that little trick, she only had the power to move time back or forward about 5 minutes.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Focusing her energy, she used her powers. A white aura enveloped her, and for a few seconds… everything went still. Then suddenly time rewinded. She opened her eyes and looked at her alarm clock. "Perfect. Now, time to eat!" she said smiling.

Grabbing her school bag, she unlocked and opened her door, stepping into the corridor. At that exact moment a door opened and a boy came out. He had beautiful blonde hair that reached his ears, mesmerizing blue eyes and appeared to be about 12 years old. Hitomi always told him that in a few years he'd have all the cheerleaders chasing him, but he always denied that. _He doesn't think he's handsome_, Hitomi thought_, but that modesty of him is just another quality in that big heart of his_.

He was wearing their school's uniform: forest-green pants and jacket, white shirt and a tie with green and brown stripes. For Hitomi the uniform was the same, only she had a short green skirt and knee-length socks.

Smiling, he looked at her and said "Hey Hitomi! Are you ready yet? I was just going to check up on you!". Hitomi hid her nervousness and smiled, saying "Oh I'm fine! I just took a bit longer getting ready. You really didn't have to go and check on me!". She laughed a bit nervously and continued "Let's go Chid, time for breakfast!".

They walked together to the kitchen and dropped their school bags on the floor, sitting at the kitchen table. Behind the stove stood a giggling woman in her early 30's and behind her and amused man in his mid-30's with his arms wrapped around her. The woman was pretty, with long wavy blonde hair that reached her hips, mesmerizing blue eyes and perfect white skin. The man was tall, with brown hair that reached his mid-back but he kept tied in a ponytail, amber eyes and a seductive smile.

Hitomi and Chid looked at each other, rolled their eyes and said in unison "Raging hormones!". Finally, the couple noticed them and the woman turned around smiling and said "Hey kids! I've just finished making breakfast!". Hitomi also smiled at her and said "Good morning Aunt Millerna! I'm starving!" while Chid raised his plate at her and said "'Morning Mom!".

The brown-haired man finally turned around, now holding a coffee cup in his hands and said "Good morning youth!", then he made a mockingly serious face and said "When you're ready I'll drive you to the battlefield!".

Hitomi and Chid looked at him with serious faces and said "Battlefield!". Then they burst out laughing. When she calmed down Hitomi lifted her fork and said with a mocking tone "We shall win this battle, even if it costs us our lives, uncle Dryden.". Then it was Dryden's turn to laugh "Okay Okay… now hurry up and eat or you'll be late!"

At 8:30 they arrived at school. Chid waved goodbye and quickly ran to his group of friends while Hitomi ran to the classroom to join her classmates, who were all already gathered there to prevent getting late to Mr. Cravo's Class. At the exact moment she got to the door, Mr. Cravo arrived and let them in. A few moments later, as she was doing the test, she looked up at her teacher and thought about how he gave her goosebumps and an eerie feeling. _Creepy…_, she thought.

Soon it was lunch break. She sat down in the cafeteria with all her friends, most of whom she knew since kindergarten. Time really flies! It felt as if they had changed into completely different people but at the same time, when she watched them laugh, they were still the same kids who used to play in the swings and slides of their childhood park.

She watched one of them, Yukari, talking about her boyfriend. Yukari was her best friend. They'd been through everything together, the worse and best moments of each other's lives. But now Hitomi felt like they were drifting apart… Yukari spent all her free time with her boyfriend Amano. Hitomi wasn't being selfish or jealous, she was just sad that they didn't spend as much time together as they used to.

Before Yukari started dating Amano, about two years ago, her and Hitomi used to hang out together everyday. They even slept several nights on each other's homes. They'd stay awake until dawn talking about everything, telling jokes and watching movies… having fun.

Sighing, Hitomi finished the last bit of her lunch and stood up. After putting way her food tray she went outside to the school's garden. The garden was beautiful, covered in lush grass, filled with apple and cherry trees and with a narrow trail of little white stones on the ground, leading to the centerpiece.

There it stood, at the end of the trail, a beautiful fountain, surrounded by yellow roses, with the statue of an angel in the middle. Hitomi looked up, admiring the angel. It always soothed her, looking at that statue of a man, reaching with both hands to the sky, down on one knee, with both wings stretched wide. It was really amazing the detail and perfection of that statue.

Hitomi walked over to one of the apple trees and sat down under it. Her back faced the tree trunk and she had folded her knees against her chest. Two tears escaped her eyes. She was alone…

"Hitomi!" A voice broke through her haze and she looked up. "Oh, hey Yukari…"

"Hitomi! What are you doing here all by yourself?" her friend said, while kneeling down beside her friend.

"Thinking…" she said, lifting her head to look into her friend's eyes. "I'm all alone Yukari!" she said louder.

"No you're not! You have me!" Yukari protested.

"No, I don't! When was the last time me hung out together! That's right… you can't even remember! You have Amano now. And I'm not saying you shouldn't spend more time with Amano! It's just that…" Hitomi paused, taking a deep breath before continuing in a lower tone "You're my best friend and I rarely see you now! We've been through so much! You were always there for me when I needed you. Remember when we were kids and I moved to this town after my parents died? I was all alone and I didn't know anyone. Nobody would come close to me, thinking that I would break just because I was sad. You were the one who came to me and became my friend. You cheered me up and helped me get over it. I don't know what I would have done without you!"

Hitomi paused again, holding back her tears, and turned to look at the fountain while she proceeded "I don't want to lose you as a friend. I just want us to hang out together again, at least once a week…"

When she turned to look at her friend, Yukari had tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh Hitomi! I didn't realize I was ignoring you like that! I'm so sorry! I promise we'll spend more time together!"

The two friends hugged for a long moment before Yukari spoke. "Let's go back to class! Lunch break is almost over!"

The rest of the afternoon went by pretty quickly. A Geography, a Philosophy and finally a Physical Education class. Could her life be any more boring? No, she thought not. She knew that tomorrow she'd be doing the same thing she'd done the week before and a week from tomorrow she would do that too. A life based on routine. Oh, she definitely felt worse now. Not just lonely… but very sad.

As she left her last class, she decided she really needed a walk to clear her head. Since she couldn't find Chid among the crowd in front of school, she just used her cell phone to call him.

"Hey Chid. Look, don't wait up for me. Just take the bus and go home, ok? Tell Aunt Millerna and Uncle Dryden that I'm going to Yukari's and I don't know at what time I'll be back, ok?" A confused Chid just said "Sure" and hung up.

He could probably feel how sad she was and needed her own time. Hitomi felt guilty for not going home with him, but he was very mature for a 12 year old. Besides, he had lots of friends who rode the bus with him, so he should be okay.

Of course, Hitomi wasn't going to Yukari's. She just didn't want her aunt and uncle worrying about her walking around the streets at this hour. Well, it wasn't that it was really late, but the sun was setting down already. As she looked at the sky, she could see a very orange sun in the horizon. At last, she started walking.

Hitomi lived in a city by the sea. Her house and school were in a residential area, very calm and modern at the same time. There was almost no traffic, the houses looked cozy and everything transpired tranquility. She was now walking down the road towards the beach. The sea breeze already filled the air, and the sound of waves chasing down on the rocks could be heard.

When she finally got to the beach, the last purples and reds of the sunset had already faded, leaving a dark blue sky filled with stars and a bright full moon. Hitomi was standing on top of the stairs that lead to the beach sand. Her eyes were closed and she enjoyed the marine scent and the feel of the wind messing her hair.

She opened her eyes and started walking down the steps while admiring the moon, that seemed to enchant her. It felt like a dream, and she was sleepwalking.

Soon she was standing where the sand finally met the water and then she sat down, dropping her bag on the ground. It was a magical night… well, to Hitomi every night with a full moon was a magical night. But even with the peacefulness of the beach, the view of the moon, the sound of the sea… she was still sad.

Hitomi wrapped her arms around herself and let the empty feeling consume her for a moment.

Her misery was interrupted when a sudden voice next to her said, "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"


	2. Disturbance

**Author's Notes**

Hello everyone! I told you I'd update weekly, and it's not even been a week! Thank you so much for the reviews and the positive feedback! It made me feel so good! And someone said I rushed the first chapter a bit… you're right! It's my big weakness… I tend to get straight to the point and I don't even give you time to keep up with the action. I'm sorry! I'll try and slow the rhythm a bit! Since this is my first fanfic, I guess I'll get better with my writing with every chapter.

To those who don't get it, stuff in italics is Hitomi's thoughts. I just wanted to get that clear!

Now… here comes the second chapter! **Please** take a minute to **review** it and tell me what you thought. Also, I've created a forum for all of you who'd like to discuss this story or talk to me about it. For those who don't know how to get there, just click on my nickname and then click 'my forums' on my profile page. Once again, THANK YOU!

"The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?"

Hitomi was startled and quickly turned her head to see a boy standing by her left, about 3 meters from her. Unlike her fearful first thoughts, it wasn't a middle-aged rapist or some drunk. It was just a boy. She sighed with relief. Her heart was beating so fast she thought he could hear it.

The boy looked harmless, standing calmly looking at the moon. The moon shone so bright that night that Hitomi could see him well.

He had raven-black hair, which was being ruffled by the wind in that moment, looking wild and untamed, giving him a rebel look. His eyes were brown and reflected the moonlight. He looked to be about Hitomi's age and he was wearing… what? Her school's uniform! _He's from my school! Why haven't I ever seen him there? My school isn't that big! Someone like him wouldn't go unnoticed! My friends would have told me if a guy this cute was in out school…_ What? Did she just think that?

Hitomi blushed fiercely, not just from her thoughts, but also because she had been staring at him for about 3 minutes AND hadn't said anything yet. She finally gathered her wits and said "Huh… yeah, it is…"

He then turned to look at her and seemed to be evaluating her. Not in a bad, nosy way. He just looked into her eyes with an expression like he was reading her soul.

Hitomi just sat there, trying to figure out what kind of guy he was. Was he a jerk? Or one of those guys who looked oh-so-innocent but deep down were the worst? Somehow, looking into his eyes, Hitomi couldn't think of him as a bad person. _He looks like a decent guy…_

After a minute of soul-searching stared, he finally spoke "Hey, why are you here?"

"What! What do you mean?" Somehow that wasn't what she was expecting him to say. Actually, she wasn't expecting anything…

"I meant, what is a girl like you doing all alone at night in the beach?" he asked softly.

"Well… I… I needed to take a walk to clear my head. The beach just looked like a peaceful enough place to go to."

"You seemed sad" he just said.

Hitomi waited for him to continue, but when he didn't she just replied "Well, maybe that's because I am sad"

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked, while looking at the moon.

"No, I was just feeling lonely. I'll get over it" she said with a blank face.

"Well, if you don't wanna talk about it I won't push you" he the smiled at her "But I'd like to cheer you up a bit. Do you want to go with me for an ice cream? My treat."

"What! I don't even know your name! Sorry but I don't go around accepting invitations from complete strangers. Even if you look harmless, I don't know a thing about you." She said with a sarcastic tone. It wasn't that she didn't want to go… but the world is such a dangerous and unpredictable place that you can never be too careful.

The boy just laughed lightly and told her "You're right, I'm sorry" then he extended his right hand to her "Hi, I'm Van. I'm 18. I just moved to this town and I don't know anyone here."

She took his hand and shook it "Hi, I'm Hitomi. You're wearing my school's uniform. I take it you'll be attending it from now on."

He smiled and let go of her hand "Very observant. If you mean that school next to the town's library, then yes. I went there today to speak to the principal. I'll start attending classes tomorrow."

_Okay, he seems nice enough…_ She was feeling that weight on her chest from all the sadness becoming lighter now. It had been a long time since she'd met someone new. When she was losing herself in her thoughts, he spoke again.

"Well, now you know something about me. Now how about that ice cream? Maybe you can tell me something more about you too. Come on, I promise I won't bite!"

She laughed at that "Hmm… sure"

"Come on then" he smiled and offered his hand to help her get up.

She took it and stood up, shaking off the sand from her legs, and grabbed her bag. They walked together in silence for a few minutes. He had his hands on his pockets and she was playing with the hem of her skirt.

They reached a street parallel to the beach. There was a lot of commotion. There were people everywhere walking around, completely relaxed and enjoying the night. They spotted some shops and restaurants which all looked traditional and homey. There were big vases with flowers along the street and only people were allowed to walk in this street.

Hitomi finally spoke "Where do you want to go to?"

He looked at her, expressionless face, and said "I don't know… I'm new here, remember?"

She blushed a bit and looked down, laughing nervously, "Oh yeah, I forgot. Well, I think there's an ice cream shop close by" she pointed.

They soon reached it, entered and got seated. The waitress came and asked them what they'd like. Van asked for a cone with coffee-flavored ice-cream and Hitomi asked a vanilla-flavored one.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Van finally asked without looking away from the window "So, tell me about yourself…"

"What do you want to know?"

He seemed to think about it for a minute "Hmm… how about how you came to be in this place. Were you born here?"

"Oh… no… I wasn't born here" she looked down at her ice-cream while talking "My parents died when I was young and then I moved in with my aunt and uncle. They took me in and I've been with them ever since…"

"Oh, I'm sorry… and are you happy here?"

She looked up surprised. He was now looking at her. "Well, define happiness… I have everything I need, a loving family, I'm okay at school…"

"And is that enough for you?" he said, looking deep in her eyes.

She returned the look, intensifying it by getting her head a few inches closer to his, "There are people who don't even have that! I should consider myself lucky to have this!"

He didn't even flinch "You didn't answer my question"

She was caught off guard and turned her face away from him. She started wondering. Was it really enough? It should be! Her mind said it was but her heart said it wasn't. She had never asked herself if it was enough or not. She'd spent her life looking at things in the good side, thinking that no matter what happened, life goes on.

While she thought about this, three men came in to the shop. They wore jeans, white t-shirts, black coats, black sunglasses and black caps. The only thing that distinguished them was that one of them had a beard and another one wore gold earrings.

They entered the shop quietly and separated when they reached the counter. The one with the beard remained at the counter, the simple one went to guard the door and the one with the earrings started walking in the direction of Van and Hitomi's table.

The waitress smiled at the guy in the counter, oblivious to the negative that radiated from him in waves. "What can I get you, sir?"

The man kept a straight face and said very calmly and quietly, like he was simply ordering a coffee, "Shut up and don't move or I'll blow your brains out"

The waitress's blood was completely drained from her face. She nodded silently with her head and stood there rigid and scared out of her mind, while he discretely pointed a gun that he had hidden in his coat at her.

There were only 5 costumers in the shop, Hitomi and Van in one table, a couple in another table and a guy alone in the other table. The guys were being so discrete that nobody seemed to notice them or the situation.

The man guarding the door didn't pull out his gun, he just leaned against the door with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Hitomi and Van were quiet, Hitomi was still contemplating her question. Van was looking at her, waiting for her answer. The strange man with the gold earrings came over to them and looked at Van, then Hitomi.

"Keep quiet" he said quietly, then pulled out his gun and pointed it at Van. "If you do what I say, then nobody needs to get hurt" he said, but didn't sound honest.

Van began to look angry. Hitomi was just petrified. What was happening? Who was this man? Was that gun real? There were alarm bells ringing in her head. A feeling of dread crept up her spine. Then, Van started talking.

"What do you want from me! Money from my father! Let me tell you, he doesn't make deals with scum like you!" he sounded infuriated.

The man with the earrings laughed dryly and said "We don't want anything from you! You Fanels must think you're so important that the world moves around you!"

The man at the counter yelled at him "Stop wasting time! Do it!". The other costumers looked at him and started realizing what was happening.

Then the man with the earrings brutally grabbed Hitomi by the arm and pulled her against his chest. He had his left arm around her neck and his right hand pointed the gun to her head.

"Let her go!" she heard Van screaming. Time was passing so slowly, each second going by like an hour. The costumers at the shop were looking at them, shocked, scared and impotent.

Hitomi tried everything to escape his grasp, from biting to kicking him, and nothing worked. She wasn't weak… but the man was too strong. This is it… I'm going to die…

The man started dragging her backwards but stopped when one of the costumers got up. It was the guy sitting alone at a table. Hitomi looked at him, he was wearing a long brown coat, brown hat and big sunglasses. It had only been a minute since Hitomi had been grabbed.

Before you knew it, the guy pulls out a gun from his coat and starts shooting against the three strange men. He'd pointed at their right hands. The man holding Hitomi let out a scream of pain and let her go. She fell to the floor right in front of him, still so shocked that her legs seemed to fail her.

Then the guy in the long coat ran to them and threw a huge punch at the other man's jaw. He hadn't seen it coming, since he was busy holding his bleeding hand, and fell on his back. You could see in his face the shock and anger.

The guy in the coat finally spoke and looked at the three men "Get out of here! Go tell your boss he won't get what he wants!"

They seemed to consider it for a moment, reluctant to let it go, and looked at each other until the man at the counter said, "We'll go now, but you haven't heard the last of us! Next time we'll get it!". Then the three men fled the shop. Outside they heard the sound of motorcycles and assumed the men were gone.

Van went to Hitomi's side, putting his hand on her shoulder "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

She breathlessly said "Yes… I'm fine… just… shocked"

The guy in the long coat knelt down in front of Hitomi and said softly "I'm sorry you had to go through all this."

He then took off his sunglasses, reveling stunning blue eyes, then he took off his hat, letting his long blonde hair fall around his shoulders. He looked at Hitomi with a sincere apologetic face.

She was looking at him absolutely stunned. She managed to say "What… who are you?"

He gave her a small smile, took her left hand and said, before kissing it, "My name is Allen Shezar"

Her eyes widened at the gesture and she just said "I'm Hitomi Kanzaki, thank you for you help"

He got up, put his sunglasses in a coat pocket and put his hat back on. He smiled again and said "I know. You look just like your mother" and left the shop without another word.

It took her a couple of minutes to digest what he said. _My mother? He knew my mother? But he must be 30 years old at the most! How could he have met her? When?_

Van had to shake her out of her thoughts "Come on. Let's get out of here before the police comes and presses you to give a testimony. I'll walk you home"

When they were outside, they walked in complete silence. Hitomi clutched her pendant and thought about the guy's words. Also, it had been a very tiring day and she was exhausted. Van was also re-living the events of the evening in his mind.

When they got to her house, Hitomi opened the gate and said "Thanks for everything. The ice-cream and walking me home and all". He looked at her and said "Yes… sorry about what happened…"

Hitomi smiled and shook her head "It wasn't your fault. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school, right? Goodnight"

"Goodnight" He watched her close the gate, climb up the stairs of the entrance and open the door. Wow… what a day…

Hitomi went to her room and closed the door. She got dressed in her pajamas and went to the bathroom. After washing her face, she looked herself in the mirror and thought. _My eyes look different… it's like they're glowing…_

In fact, her eyes were lighter, looking almost like two pools of water and they seemed to give a strange light.

Then she saw a strange pink light coming from her chest. She took out her pendant from under her pajamas and saw that it was glowing.

"What's going on? You never did that before…"

Suddenly everything went white…


	3. Revelation

**Author's Notes**

Hello everyone! Thank you for the wonderful reviews of the second chapter! 8 reviews! I was really happy! It could be better, but for me it was great! I saw in my stats that this story had 300 hits! Wow! This chapter has a lot of revelations, the plot begins to thicken but I have MUCH more plans for this. I hope you like this chapter. **Please review!** I have been a good author and updated quickly, and it's your reviews that encourage me to write more and better and to update soon.

PS: I need a beta-reader. Any volunteers? PM me!

Suddenly everything went white…

When she opened her eyes she was standing in a whole different place. She was standing in what seemed to be the rooftop of a skyscraper in a city. Actually, she was standing on the edge of it, looking down at all the other buildings and feeling a very strong wind blowing against her body. The sky was blue and the sun was in the horizon, almost at the sunset. When she looked at herself, she was wearing a long white dress, long-sleeved and with a V-cut.

"Where am I?" She was confused and a bit scared. One minute she was in her bathroom and the other she was standing in God-knows-where wearing different clothes. Was this a dream? It looked and felt so real…

"You're not dreaming" a voice behind her said.

Hitomi turned around to see a young woman a few steps away smiling softly at her. The woman was older and taller than Hitomi, had very light blonde hair that reached her shoulders, gray-blue eyes and was dressed in a long white robe. Everything about that woman just screamed purity. It was like seeing a superior entity, an angel almost.

The wind was blowing strong, messing the two females' hairs, agitating their clothes. They were at such high altitude that clouds surrounded them.

Hitomi spoke with a very confidant and uncharacteristic voice, like she was a whole new person, much braver and wiser than herself. "Who are you and why did you bring me here?" Her eyes held a strong look of confidence and authority.

The angelic woman's smile grew wider at the look and words of Hitomi "I am Selena. Oh, you look so much like your mother…"

Hitomi's temper was rising. What was going on? Suddenly strange people told her she looked like her mother! Being clueless was really beginning to get in her nerves. _Why do people go and speak about her when I don't want them to? Can't they see it hurts me to think about her? And father? They're dead! I wish they'd stop reminding me of them, of how I'll never see them again…_

But even being weak in her thoughts didn't change her brave look and fearless gaze. No, she would be strong!

"I know. In fact, lately I've been hearing that a lot. But don't run from the question. Why did you bring me here?"

Selena gave a defeated sigh and her face took on a sad look. Suddenly the sky became gray, like it was a reflexion of her thoughts. The wind stopped and everything became silent. Hitomi was startled by the change, but didn't let it show. She just looked from on side to the other and then at the woman. Selena looked to be reflecting on her next words.

Then the woman finally spoke, slowly, carefully, like speaking too loud or fast would activate a bomb "I've come to warn you, Hitomi. The time is near…"

Hitomi interrupted her, her heart was leaping in anticipation and she couldn't help the words from escaping her lips "The time? Time for what?"

The interruption didn't bother Selena, who took a step closer and looked straight in Hitomi's eyes "The time to claim what is rightfully yours. Your mother's legacy."

Her eyes widened "My mother's legacy! And what's that?" Suddenly she felt lightheaded. _I really must be dreaming this! Who are these people who seem to know more about my mother that I do?_

"Her powers" Selena clarified softly.

"But I already have her powers" she blurted out. _Oh no! Why did I just say that? How do I know I can trust her?_

"Calm down. You can trust me."

Whoa! How did that woman know what she was thinking? Hitomi tried not to look intimidated and just raised an eyebrow "Are you a mind-reader?"

"Yes I am. Don't be scared. I'm on your side."

"My side? What is my side? And is there another side?"

Just then the sky seemed to fail. Then all the buildings that surrounded the skyscraper where Hitomi was standing disappeared. The «world» was reduced to that one building, those two women and the big gray sky.

Selena looked frightened "Oh no! We must hurry! My powers are failing. I think I can only sustain this for another couple of minutes."

"So this isn't real! I thought you said it wasn't a dream!" Hitomi protested.

"It is neither. It's just an illusion I've created so I could reach you. Listen to me, Hitomi." Then she started to tell the story:

"A long time ago a man, before he died, gave his pregnant wife great powers to use to protect her family and fight the evil in this world. Since then, there have always been females among the descendants of that woman. Her powers have been passed on to the oldest female of each generation. Do you understand what I mean? You, Hitomi, are a descendant of that woman. Your grandmother had powers, your mother had powers and now you will have yours. Right now what you have is only a sample of the power that will be entrusted to you. Your full powers will come only on your 18th birthday." Then she paused, giving Hitomi a second to take in all the new information.

Hitomi stood there, open-mouthed, eyes huge, completely shocked. Right now the only thought her mind could process was _Oh my god, Oh my God, Oh my God!_

Selena wished she had more time to let Hitomi absorb all the new information, but right now time was a luxury she couldn't afford. "But you are in great danger. Somehow other people found out about your family's powers and I'm afraid they'll try to use you. Be very careful Hitomi."

At that moment, everything around them went black. The sky and the skyscraper disappeared and the two women stood in mid-air surrounded by darkness. They could only see each other because their bodies were glowing white.

"What! There are people after me? What can I do?"

Selena's body began to fade, starting at her feet and rising. Just before her neck started to fade, she said "Don't be afraid. We'll be there for you" then she disappeared.

Hitomi woke up suddenly. She was lying on her back on the bathroom floor. Her head was throbbing and she all was covered in sweat. Her heart was beating furiously, her breathing was rash and she felt absolutely drained of all energy.

She was so shaken up that she started crying and sobbing, overcome with all the emotion. This is all crazy! How could this be happening to me? After about half an hour she finally gathered the strength to crawl to her room and get into bed.

While she was lying on her bed, millions of thoughts went through her head "Does Uncle Dryden know about my mother's powers? He was her brother, after all…"

"Oh god! Did daddy know too? Or did she keep him in the dark like she did with me? Sure, I might have been very young but…" she trailed off.

"She probably wanted to tell me when I was older, only she died before she could. I suppose it wouldn't be reasonable telling a 5-year-old "Hey honey, guess what? You'll get these big powers when you turn 18. And what else? You be approached by crazy people with weird powers who'll know more about those powers than you!". No, I suppose mom was right not to tell me then…"

"I bet that Allen guy is one of them too. Was he stalking me or what? He probably was, or else he'd never be there on the ice-cream shop when I needed him. Oh great! Now I have these wacky dudes with a knight-in-shining-armor Syndrome!"

It took another two hours for her to finally drift off to sleep. The last thought in her mind before unconsciousness was: _Only two months to go until my 18th birthday…_

The next day Hitomi woke up before the usual time. It was actually due to two reasons. First, she didn't sleep very well. Second, she was determined to talk to her uncle before going to school. Everything in her mind was blurry. What was she suppose to feel? Happy to be getting powers? Afraid of the crazy people who would supposedly be after her? She felt many things, but happiness wasn't one of them. She was very aware that with power came responsibility.

She was getting dressed, going through the usual ritual of getting ready. Her thoughts were miles away and her movements were mechanical. Today she didn't even look at herself in the mirror, not wanting to remind herself of the events of the previous night. She grabbed her bag and exited the room.

When she got to the kitchen, Dryden was sitting at the empty table, reading the morning's paper. Hitomi had a very serious face when she walked towards him. He heard her coming and turned to greet her, but the smile that started forming on his face quickly vanished when he saw the look on her face.

She sat down in front of him and finally spoke "Where's Aunt Millerna?"

He replied with the same serious tone she used "She's still asleep. It will still be awhile until she wakes up" He was both curious and worried about what his niece had to say.

Hitomi didn't want to waste time. Events had occurred in a short period of time, so you could say time was of the essence "Uncle Dryden, I need to know something. Promise me you'll tell the truth." At his nod she continued, "What did you know about my mother? I mean, was there something unusual about her?" her hands were trembling with fear and anticipation. Deep down she wished it was all a lie and she was just a normal teenager with a few odd capacities.

"Well, to be honest, I didn't know much about your mother. All I know is that mother spent a lot of time with her, doing god-knows-what, in her room. I never knew what they did because they were very secretive and kept the doors locked. I do remember hearing strange noises coming from the room, like stuff exploding and such. Then, when she turned 18, she said she was going to study abroad. It all seemed very suspicious to me, but our parents didn't even doubt her. After that, she'd come to visit once a year bringing gifts from European countries. When she was 25, she brought your father with her when she visited. Apparently they were already married for almost a year and instead of staying and settling down, they left again. I got a letter from her a year after that, saying she gave birth to a beautiful daughter named Hitomi and that everything was good. And then…" he paused, covering his face with his hands.

"Then, five years later, me and Millerna were having dinner with my parents when the doorbell rang. Your grandmother went to get the door and came back several minutes later with a little girl with a certain pink pendant on her neck. She said your parents had died in a car crash and then she told us that you were Hitomi. I couldn't believe it… it was surreal! What convinced me was your striking resemblance with your mother and grandmother and the pendant. Your mother never, ever, took it off. Our mother had given it to her when she was a little girl. So, that's it… you know the rest. You came to live with Millerna and me."

Hitomi sat there, staring at her hands on the table, completely shocked. Now she was sure of two things. One, her uncle knew nothing about her mother's powers. Two, all that he said matched the crazy theory about her powers. Oh no…

She started hyperventilating, anxiety taking over. Her uncle came to her side "Hey Hitomi, are you feeling alright?"

He ran to get her a glass of water and after she calmed down he said "Did I say something wrong? What's upsetting you? Do you know something that I don't?"

_Oh I wish I could tell you, _she thought,_ but if mom never told you in all those years then I can't either._ "I'm okay It was just sad to hear the story"

Dryden didn't believe seem to fall for it, but he let it go and just said "I'll start making breakfast then". Millerna and Chid came for breakfast a few minutes later.

Hitomi left the house to go to school early today. She refused going with Chid and Dryden in the car. All she wanted to do was walk and clear her head.

Walking along a street, watching the streetlights turning off and the sun slowly appearing in the horizon made her calm her nerves. But still, she couldn't stop thinking about her mother.

How could she keep all those secrets for all that time? What do I really know about her? Now I know she was in Europe, which makes sense, since I remember hearing French songs playing from her old records. I remember she liked them a lot. What else do I remember? I remember we traveled a lot, but I don't remember where…

"Wow. You can know so little about someone so close…" she said quietly.

"You're right." Another voice behind her said.


	4. Reality

**Author's Notes**

Hello everyone! First of all, I am SOOOOO sorry for taking SO long to update. Did you think I'd given up on this story? NO! I deeply apologize for the long delay, but I have good reasons for it:

1 – I had no internet for a week

2 – The last weeks have been hell with my final tests of the year

3 – Next week I start my final exams, which are REALLY important

4 – I am a perfectionist. You people have NO idea how many times I've written and erased this chapter until I was satisfied.

I'd like to thank you all for your wonderful reviews, especially since my last chapter was Van-less. To make it up to you, there will be plenty of Van in this chapter. I am trying to think of a way to make my romance sweet but not lame… it is a hard job. Now enjoy this chapter, which is the bigger one yet (yay!), and **please review** afterwards.

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"You're right."

Hitomi froze. After the last stressful 24 hours she was a bit edgy. She closed her eyes and tried to remember how to breathe. Her heart was beating way too quickly than it should.

"Hitomi? Are you okay? It's me, Van." He said

She sighed with relief and opened her eyes. Smiling softly, she shook her head and said "I'm okay. Don't worry. Good morning!"

Van gave her a small smile and looked straight forward. Two seconds later his eyes widened and he paled. Hitomi turned to look at what seemed to be frightening him and she saw a pink-haired girl running towards them.

Before Hitomi could blink, the girl jumped and hugged Van fiercely. He stood there, extremely uncomfortable, trying to release himself from the girl's death grip.

The girl raised her head to look at Van's face and squealed "Van! You're here! How are you? Did you miss me!"

Van rolled his eyes and sighed "Yes Merle. I'm fine. Yeah yeah…"

The girl named Merle finally released Van and looked at him with a huge smile and sparkling eyes. Hitomi watched the whole scene with interest.

That Merle was really crazy. Hitomi had heard of her… they went to the same school but Merle was 2 years younger than Hitomi. Merle was everything but shy, had pink hair that reached her shoulders (obviously not her natural colour), golden tan, huge nails that she kept perfectly manicured and wore lots of makeup.

There were rumors saying that Merle loved to flirt with guys but never gave them a real chance because she had been in love with a guy for years. Nobody knew who the guy was and Merle never told anyone.

After about 2 minutes of staring at Van, Merle finally noticed Hitomi. "Who are you and what are you doing with Van!" The happy face she had a minute ago was transformed into an angry look.

"She's Hitomi. She's my friend. Now Merle, go to school and I'll see you at lunch break, ok?" Van said.

Merle didn't sound too pleased but smiled anyway and said "Okay Van, I'll see you later!"

Hitomi looked at Van with an eyebrow raised "Is she your girlfriend?".

He was surprised and raised an eyebrow himself "Merle? No, of course not. She's my cousin. I live next to her now. Why?"

She acted innocent and said "Oh… nothing…" _Guys can be so dense! Just because she's his cousin she won't fall for him? Please!_

They got to school a couple of minutes later. Van had been place in Hitomi's class so they walked together to the classroom. When they passed the door everyone was already seated and started staring at them. Hitomi cleared her throat to call the teacher's attention.

Unfortunately it was History class… Mr. Miguel Cravo's class, so she wasn't spared a lecture "Miss Kanzaki! You're 4 minutes late! I hope you have a good excuse or else you'll stay here after class!"

Van stepped forward and defended her "She was helping me find the classroom". That didn't seem to calm the teacher, who glared at him "Was I talking to you? You must be the new kid. I'll let go this lack of respect because it's your first day here but from now on you will only speak when I tell you to, are we understood?"

Van gulped and held back his anger "Yes, sir"

Mr. Cravo looked at Hitomi and said "You, on the other hand, are not new here. For your disrespect for the rules you'll stay here after classes and do detention". Hitomi sighed "Yes sir" and both her and Van took their seats.

When it was time for lunch break, Hitomi saw Van leave class in a big hurry. She was a bit confused at first but understood when Merle came to her a couple of minutes later asking "Is Van here? He said we'd meet at lunch break but I can't find him anywhere!".

Hitomi smirked on the inside but kept an innocent look on the outside "Oh really? Oh I have no idea where he is…"

After all the classes of the day, Hitomi made her way to the classroom where she was supposed to do detention with Mr. Cravo. She was less than thrilled about it, so she made a point not to walk too fast.

She knocked on the door, silently praying he wasn't there, but found all her hopes shattered when she heard the dreadful "Come in".

Hitomi took a seat and grabbed her pencil, preparing for the assignment. Mr. Cravo handed her something and said "This is a little something for you to entertain yourself." The «little something» was a 6 page test… a joke from his evil, twisted mind, Hitomi thought.

While she was taking the test, she could feel his eyes on her. When she looked up he was staring at her pendant, which was hanging from her neck. Hitomi felt uneasy and decided to put the pendant under her shirt. Mr. Cravo seemed angry for that, but didn't say anything.

After detention, Hitomi decided to take a walk on the school's garden before leaving school. The sun was setting and the marble statue standing in the middle of the garden was bathed in orange light. Hitomi saw someone lying on his back on the grass. When she came closer she realized it was Van.

He had his arms crossed behind his head, eyes closed and an expression of total peace. Hitomi came closer until she was only one step away from him. Van immediately woke up and looked at her startled. When he realized who it was he relaxed.

"Oh, it's you Hitomi. Hey" he said. She smirked and said "Hi. You know… Merle asked me where you were… funny how you were nowhere to be found"

Van sighed "She's been chasing me around all day. She doesn't understand that I just want to be alone…"

Hitomi felt both sad and insulted "Oh… then I'll leave you alone…"

His eyes widened and he sat up "Wait! I'm sorry. I didn't mean you. You can stay. You're not bothering me"

She shook her head and smiled relieved "I have to go anyway, I'm already late"

"Are you going home? I'll walk you there."

"No, I'm not. I'm going to the hospital." She said.

"The hospital? Why? Are you sick?" he asked, with an eyebrow raised.

She gave a small laugh "Oh, no! I'm a volunteer there."

He gave a small smile "Do you like it?"

"Volunteering? Yes. I've been at that hospital for almost 2 years. I've met some nice people."

"Cool" he said, smiling softly "Can I walk you there?"

Hitomi blushed but nodded. They started walking there slowly, stealing glances of each other every now and then.

Van had a peaceful expression and didn't look nervous at all. That only made Hitomi feel worse, who'd been holding her pendant like her life depended on it. Ever since she was a child, she would always hold on to her pendant to calm her nerves.

She was never good dealing with guys. The truth was… she'd never even been kissed before. If any of the other girls found out, she'd be teased to death, so she kept her non-existent love life all to herself. When they were 12, Yukari had asked her if she had ever kissed a boy and Hitomi lied and said yes. Yukari believed that, but knew very well that Hitomi had never had a boyfriend before. So now here was Hitomi, thinking about her very boring life and how she shouldn't even delusion herself that Van would even want anything with her besides friendship.

Looking up, she saw the hospital's entrance a few steps away. She was already grieving about her walk with Van being finished. She said the words she'd been dreading to say… "We're here…"

Van looked at the hospital like he hadn't even noticed they'd walked so much. He'd also been deep in thought, much deeper than Hitomi it seemed. He asked "So… how long will you be working?"

Hitomi stared at the ground and sighed "Until 10…" she looked at him hopefully "Why?"

Van feigned nonchalance and just stared at the sky, his face not showing even a glimpse of his feelings. Hitomi was already starting to hate that, not knowing what he was feeling or thinking because he hid it so well.

He spoke "Maybe I could meet you here when you ere done and we could go for a walk or something…". If nonchalance was a sport, Hitomi mused, Van would be world champion.

Her heart seemed to glow with happiness. Hitomi smiled brightly at him and spoke softly "I'd like that". Without thinking, Hitomi stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then walked away from him.

Van seemed to blush a bit, though it might have been an optic illusion due to the light… or not. He cleared his throat and turned his face away, then said "Okay then… I'll be here at 10"

Hitomi walked towards the hospital's staff door and before going through it she turned to look behind her. Van was still standing where she'd left him and she thought he might have been watching her walk away. Her heart swelled with happiness and she had a big smile plastered on her face that she thought would never fade.

She went to the changing room and opened her locker. It was as empty as always, with only one extra set of clean clothes and a bag where she kept all that she needed to take a shower after work. It wasn't rare that a patient would throw up all over her when she was adjusting his pillow, or a stubborn one would throw his soup bowl at her when she tried to feed him. Oh no, the shower was a must.

Hitomi took off her school uniform and folded it neatly, putting it on the locker. She put on the uniform that she always wore at the hospital and brushed her hair. When she was all set, she left the changing room and headed for the elevator.

Some nurses got in the elevator with her, talking and laughing loudly like they didn't care who they bothered… and this was a hospital, after all. One of them, a tall, fake blonde with a cup size that was not so natural, looked Hitomi from top to bottom.

"Oh look what the cat's brought in!" the Barbie woman mused.

Hitomi never felt so naked, not only from that woman's cruel stare but also because she was wearing something that felt like nothing and she could feel the cool air-conditioned trespassing the thin fabric.

Still, she gathered her strength and glared at the woman "Oh look, the bitch is back. And here I thought you'd already gone off to marry some senile oldman to get his fortune…"

The woman was infuriated and pushed Hitomi against the wall of the elevator "Look here slut, don't you talk to me like that, do you hear me? You're worthless! You're nothing but an ugly kid!"

At that moment they heard the familiar ping sound and the elevator doors opened. They'd reached Hitomi's floor. Hitomi just gave a fake smile and walked away from the women. When she was out of the elevator Hitomi turned around and said "I heard you loud and clear Lola" then gave them a serious menacing look while she finished "And if you ever threaten me like that again, I'll kill you".

Then the elevator doors closed and Hitomi stood there alone, trying to calm her nerves. She didn't really mean the threat and she knew it, but she hoped Lola didn't know it too. It had just been rage talking.

A gentle hand was laid on her shoulder, followed by a gentle voice "Were they bugging you again?".

She turned around and a shook her head, smiling sadly "I expected as much. Now that leader-bitch Lola came back from her vacation it was inevitable that we'd meet"

Hitomi stared at big brown eyes that seemed to soothe her. The voice said "You know, Hitomi, that if you say the word I can slap them around a bit."

That did it… Hitomi burst out laughing. She managed to stop after a couple of minutes and said "Thanks Gaddes, but I think I'll leave it to fate to punish them. I'm sure soon Lola's high-heels will get stuck somewhere and she'll fall flat on her face."

The two friends walked down the hall still laughing, but not loudly as the crazy women. Gaddes was a doctor at the hospital. He was 10 years older than Hitomi, had short brown hair and muscular figure. He was very tall and, you could say, good-looking.

When Hitomi started working at the hospital, he was the first one to welcome her. Well, he himself hadn't been there much longer than her. He started working at the hospital about a week before Hitomi.

Everything was going as usual, Gaddes checking out patients and Hitomi helping out whoever needed. At least today nobody had thrown up all over her, she could be glad for that. Hitomi kept thinking about Van and the fact that she'd be with him in a few moments… and she was getting pretty nervous.

Hitomi clutched her pendant in her hand tightly, trying to calm down. As soon as she remembered how to breathe again she tucked her pendant under her uniform. There were only 10 minutes left before she met Van, so now all she had to do was check out the rooms to see if everything was okay and head down to the changing room.

She turned to Gaddes, who was now reading some patient's chart, and said "Hey Gaddes, I'm going to do a last check up and then I'm out of here"

He lifted his head from the chart and mocked her "Hmmm… you usually stay here almost half an hour past you time… why is it so important to leave on time today?" then he raised his right eyebrow "Got a hot date tonight?"

Hitomi blushed profusely and quickly turned away from him "No! I'm meeting a friend…"

He faked a sweet voice "Whatever you say…"

Hitomi left him and went to check the patients' rooms.

_First room… okay. Second room… okay. Third room… okay._ Everything seemed to be fine. Everyone was sleeping comfortably and the windows were all shut. When Hitomi went to check on the last room she saw a patient lying on a bed coughing loudly. She approached him, put a hand on the bed's headboard and another on the mattress and leaned in to ask him "Sir, are you okay?"

At that moment he stopped coughing and looked at her. He sat up, sliding one hand under the sheet, grabbing something.

Looking closer, she could see he had gold earrings and looked a bit familiar. He then spoke quietly "Hello honey, I told you I'd be back" and he pulled a gun from under the sheet, pointing it at her "Now, if you'll be a good girl you'll do as I say and nobody will be hurt."

Hitomi could feel her heart stop, fear creeping up her spine, the hairs in the back of her neck standing. There it was, the same guy who threatened her at the ice-cream shop, only now he had no sunglasses.

She tried to remain calm. Think Hitomi, think! What can I do! Suddenly she got an idea. She slowly, very slowly, moved her hand that was resting on the headboard and tried to locate the button to call the nurses' station. Gaddes was there, if he heard the call he would come. Hitomi had to keep eye contact with the man on the bed so he wouldn't see what she was doing. Just 3 seconds after he had spoken, she found the button and pressed it.

She said, breathlessly, to him "What do you want from me?"

He gave her a nasty smile "_I _don't want anything from you, princess. _My boss_ does. All you have to do is be a good girl and help him with your powers and everyone will be happy"

Hitomi gave him a small humorless laugh before saying "If your boss needs to send idiots with guns to make me cooperate, then I don't think it's anything I'd want to be a part of, even if I had powers, which I don't"

He glared at her and leaned the gun against her right cheek "I'd watch my mouth if I were you. Now let's go—"

He was interrupted when Gaddes entered the room and, as Hitomi expected, was shocked by what he saw but, as Hitomi definitely didn't expect, pulled out a gun and spoke with a tone Hitomi had never heard before "Let her go!"

The man jumped out of the bed and pushed Hitomi against his chest, pointing the gun to her neck. He said with an amused tone "Oh look! It's one of the heroes! Don't move or your little angel dies!" and he pushed the gun even more against Hitomi's neck to make a point.

Gaddes wasn't impressed and only answered "You wouldn't kill her, she's too precious to you!"

Hitomi felt like fainting or throwing up. Her heart beat fast and her mind was incapable of rational thought. After Gaddes spoke, she felt her pendant glow bright and hot. Suddenly, the man let her go like she was burning and shouted "You little bitch!"

Hitomi didn't even think twice before taking advantage of that little distraction and started running out of the room. When she was going through the door she heard Gaddes, who hadn't taken his eyes off the golden-earring guy, say "Go through the fire ladder!"

She didn't dare doubt him and sprinted down the long hall. At the end of the hall there was a small window, big enough for her to get through, which she quickly opened to jump to the fire ladder. She was on the 6th floor, so it was high enough to make her legs start shaking with fear when she looked down.

Before she started going down the latter she heard a gun shot and prayed in her mind that Gaddes was okay. Hitomi was going down the fire ladder when a bullet almost hit her, and she ran even faster but looked up to see that evil man at the window shouting "Your friend's down. If you don't come here now, it's your turn next!"

Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. _Oh Gaddes, I'm so sorry… it's all my fault._ She was running as fast as she could.

Hitomi saw Van a few meters away and felt like calling him, but couldn't take the risk of him getting shot. The madman by the window was still trying to hit her. Still, Van saw her. His eyes widened and he saw the man trying to shoot Hitomi while she ran down the ladder. Van ran to her without hesitation.

Hitomi kept running until she found the end of the ladder… which was still 4 meters away from the ground. She stopped.

Van stopped right under her and looked up to her and shouted "Jump Hitomi!"

She was trembling all over and shouted back "I can't! It's too high!"

Van didn't even think twice before shouting "I'll catch you! Come on, jump!"

Hitomi now had tears running down her cheeks and was so scared out of her mind that she just closed her eyes and jumped. Van caught her graciously in his strong arms, bridal style, and quickly put her down, taking her hand and starting to run.

"Come on Hitomi! Run!"

She did exactly as he said… as she tried to borrow some courage from him.

**

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****Post Chapter's Author's Notes:**

It took a lot of my imagination to make these scenes come true. Even if some bits don't correspond to reality, let's just pretend they do. Did you like it? Didn't like it? **Please review** and tell me about it!


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